As a parent, the one thing that you want the most is to protect your children and ensure that they are the healthiest that they can possibly be. You take them to the optician to get their eyes checked and you take them to the dentist to get their teeth checked. In fact, their first visit should occur before they turn 7! Your children deserve to be as healthy as possible, and if you don't ensure that your children are being seen by the right professionals, it could impact their future! 

As part of ensuring that your children maintain their health, you should keep an eye out for the obvious signs that they will require braces. You can have regular appointments with Zurcher Orthodontics if they do, but it takes seeing the signs first and foremost. So with this in mind here are some of the obvious signs that your children may need braces. Let’s take a closer look!

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1. Their new teeth are crowding. It’s normal for there to be a degree of overcrowding in your child’s mouth as their baby teeth fall out and their adult teeth grow. Sometimes, their teeth come through faster than their jaws grow, and when this happens it can pay to keep an eye on it. As more teeth come through, the rest will move along to accommodate them. Keep an eye on your teeth as they change; as too much overcrowding can prevent any new teeth finding a spot to grow.

2. They’re breathing from their mouths more and more. When teeth are crowding in the mouth, children tend to let their jaws hang down and they breathe through their mouths instead of their noses. This helps them to breathe but it can cause some issues in their jaws and that can make them narrower than they're supposed to be.

3. Misaligning of the jaw. Does your child have a severe over or underbite? This misaligned jaw is going to cause them some discomfort, and it can lead to a lisp forming, too. If you notice this, it’s important that they have an appointment with their dentist as soon as possible!

4. Your child was a thumb sucker. Thumb sucking is often seen as harmless for babies, but long term it can cause some issues. The teeth will warp as they grow, with them sticking out as if there is still a thumb there to suck on. If it’s something they’ve always done in childhood, it’s worth getting the opinion of the dentist to know whether they will have any long term issues.

5. They lost their baby teeth very late. Sometimes, losing baby teeth late can show that your children will be dealing with adult teeth being out of place. If your child still has baby teeth at age 13, there is also a chance that they won;t have any adult teeth beneath the baby teeth. This will cause some issues later on, and you should discuss this with their dentist to know whether they will need an x ray performed.